Top Menu

Monday, September 22, 2014

Dinner Diva: Fighting the Freshmen 15

I am a senior in college. One of my first memories upon arriving at my
university was that people weren't kidding when they warned me about the
"freshmen 15". Coming from a home with a well-rounded nutritional
foundation, I quickly learned that in college cuisine it is just as
difficult to get adequate sustenance, as it is to get a well-rounded
education. I'm going to go ahead and list off three simple and effective
tips on how to best avoid that unwanted weight.

First, just because you have a meal plan - or as my piers called it:
"monopoly money" (little do we realize how real that money was) - it
doesn't mean you have to pile a thanksgiving feast onto your plate every
day. You only need your general: protein, carb, and veggie. Trust me,
that meal plan will carry through to the next day so there isn't any
need to eat like it's the last day you'll ever eat. I know that the
temptation of monetary freedom can get out of hand fast so just be aware
of how hungry your stomach is, as opposed to how hungry your
imagination is!

Second, snacking is fine, but don't just snack because you have the
"monopoly money" and you can. You shouldn't be eating past the regular
dinner window that normally stays open between 6 and 9, and sure,
occasionally circumstances won't allow for anything but a late meal.
There are always exceptions, but a lot of the pounds latching onto
freshmen bodies lurk in the vending machines and miniature grocery
stores around campus that seduce their meal plans and our imagination's
fantastic idea of the midnight snack. I know it sounds exciting to stay
up to three in the morning every night and munch on ramen and candy, but
after a couple weeks of it, you'll feel the effects. Trust me, I've
been there, done that, and got the t-shirt (that was a size larger than
what it used to be).

And last, but of course not least: make the right choice. You'll
always have a healthier choice option for meals. Sometimes you might see
fried chicken next to grilled, aim for the grilled. Macaroni and cheese
versus green beans, clearly green beans will benefit your health more.
The choices are pretty obvious, but they're so often neglected when you
don't have your mother breathing down your neck about eating right - as
mine so often did. But if you're a freshman, or you have a child that is
about to go into college, just keep in mind that you should care about
your own health enough to maintain a reasonable diet. You want to be
able to enjoy your first year of college to the fullest, and you'll need
energy, not 15 extra pounds, to do so.

So the big question is, did I gain the freshmen 15? Honestly, I
started to notice a few extra pounds that hadn't found a home on my
stomach and thighs prior to that first year. However, I didn't let it
get the best of me. I felt the weight of my food choices, quite
literally, and took action. I'm blessed to attend a school in the
mountains so just getting to one class is a hike in and of itself. So
that helped with maintaining at least a base exercise if I didn't have
time to make it to the student recreation center to work out. And
secondly, it's amazing how sick of campus food you'll get. It only took
about a month for me to be burnt out of everything the school had to
offer, I was ready to be in a kitchen, cooking and choosing my own
meals. All of our dorms had kitchens, and you can believe that I took
advantage of them. I had a choice, and that's what you have to remember:
it's YOUR decision. Not your parents, not the school's, just yours.